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Star Wars: live-action TV series
The Star Wars live-action television series is a project that has been in varying stages of development at 20th Century Fox since 2008, when William Granger announced plans for a television series set between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy of Star Wars. Unlike the films, the story does not center on the Skywalker saga, but instead explores criminal and political power struggles in the aftermath of the fall of the Republic. Unlike the previous live-action series Star Wars: The Jedi Path which did not take place within the core universe, this series was planned to be set deep within the Star Wars environment. In 2011, Granger stated that development has been delayed awaiting advances in technology and reduction in costs and Peter J. Stine, the Star Wars Special Edition producer then involved with the project, indicated that it would be at least another "three or four years". Following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm, and a new arrangement made between the studios involved, ABC Studios' president Paul Lee stated in early 2013 that the project was being re-reviewed for development. Plot With the exception that the series will not star main characters from the films, statements by William Granger and Peter Stine about the plot remained vague and apparently changeable until Granger's 2011 revelation that 50 scripts had been completed. In an interview shortly after, Stine revealed the series revolves around "the Empire slowly building up its power base around the galaxy" and a "group of underground bosses" who live on Coruscant and control drugs and prostitution. Entertainment Weekly expanded on this, stating the series tells "the story of rival families struggling over the control of the seedy underside of the Star Wars universe and the people who live within the subterranean level and air shafts of the Empire’s urban-sprawl-covered home planet." The article's statement that "a bounty hunter may be the main character" recalls a reference by Stine to bounty hunters and circumstances surrounding the cancellation of a book by Karen Traviss, which lend credence to the notion that Boba Fett is one of the characters to be featured. Stine cited Deadwood as an important inspiration, and that Ronald D. Moore (creator of the [[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|2004 reboot of Battlestar Galactica]]) was revealed to be one of the writers who contributed scripts under a non-disclosure agreement. Stine said about the show that it is complex, dark and adult, and called it the most "daring material we have ever done." "I think, thematically, in terms of characters and what they go through, it will be... if we can ever get it together and Bill really wants to pursue it, it'll be the most awesome part of the whole franchise. It's Empire on steroids." Production Design The series is to match the look and feel of the films and consist of hour-long episodes. It will feature multi-episode arcs and Stine has indicated that character development will follow an approach similar to the Game of Thrones TV series. It will be shot following the production model used for the sequels, filming on location all over the world and editing in the US in parallel. Status In May 2011, William Granger stated that 50 episodes had been written, but that the series is on hold awaiting advances in technology and reductions in prices. Stine has elaborated on this, contrasting the high production costs of the series with current developments in TV production, and highlighting the question of monetization in the era of online distribution against the backdrop of the collapse of traditional TV broadcasting. After George Lucas' retirement from blockbuster moviemaking in 2012, and following the announcement that he and Granger had reconciled their past differences, Stine hinted that should production move forward, Lucas would probably take an active supervisory role similar to how he produced The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm On October 30, 2012, The Walt Disney Company announced an agreement to acquire Lucasfilm. The deal included the rights to the Indiana Jones series and gave them an effective bargaining position for inclusion in future ''Star Wars projects for which Lucas will act as creative consultant. Following a profit and production sharing deal for future Star Wars films, the cinematic rights for the X-Men film series was extended in definite to Granger's production company. In a conference call following the press release, Disney stated its interest in the potential of a Star Wars television series, but did not go into details. In January 2013, ABC Studios president Paul Lee stated that the live-action Star Wars series was being reevaluated for production. In August 2013, Lee again visited the topic of a Star Wars live-action series, stating, "We've started conversations," he said. "I'd love to go there. I'm a particular fan of Lucasfilm. It's an amazing world." In March 2014, it was reported casting was underway for a Star Wars live-action miniseries and TV specials. Nothing definite was revealed about the subject of either, but it was speculated the specials may refer to Darth Vader projects which were the subject of a photograph leaked late 2013. Title In early 2012, some confusion arose after an IGN interview with Stine in January left the impression that the project's working title was Star Wars: Underworld. In a subsequent interview with IGN in May, Stine denied that this was the case. References External links * * Category:Star Wars television series Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows Category:American science fiction television series Category:Interquel television series Category:Space adventure television series Category:Television series by Lucasfilm Category:Television programs based on films Category:Upcoming television series